Wadi Naqab to Baqal Village Hike

A small team of hardy Adventure Emarat hikers headed north from Dubai to the rugged terrain and mountains of Wadi Naqab. The goal was to climb up to Baqal Village, which sits at 850 meters above sea level. The hike started at 140 meters ASL so the hike would see us ascend more than 700 meters with a total hike distance of just over 8km.

We started our hike at 7:30am after our standard safety brief. The initial part of any hike is always surrounded by enthusiasm and zest as everyone is eager to conquer the trails. The trails on this hike however, had a different plan. They were trying to squash that zest as best they could. From the get-go, we faced steep ascents on very rough, rocky, and rutted mountain terrain. Big boulders forced us to re-route our lines often and deep washed-out ruts required us to jump or long-step in order to cross them. One positive factor, was we still had some shade cover as the sun had not yet risen over the mountains.

We took our usual short but frequent rests in the beginning to help the muscles and breathing get synced up for what was going to be a grinding workout ahead of us. We had a small team of seven hikers so the convoy remained relatively close together through the ascent. The main route had several switchbacks so we would aim to take more direct lines up the mountain, which shortened the distance traveled but increased the climb grade. It was a matter of choosing which option was less difficult and would give your efforts the most bang for the buck.

After an hour or so into the hike everyone was doing well and in a nice rhythm. The sun had risen fully. Although the air temps were pleasant the beating sun was an added challenge to the hike. Everyone was fully covered with hats, scarves, long-sleeved shirts and pants to help fend off the strong rays that were beaming on us. After a few snack breaks, we continued our march upwards making significant elevation gains. We soon found ourselves on top of an open area of the mountain with magnificent views on both sides all the way down into the valleys. It is these type of sights that can instantly recharge your batteries and give you a healthy reminder of why you are out here doing this instead of still at home in bed.

The last 100 meter or so push to the summit was probably the most difficult part of the hike. The trail was very steep, washed out with deep gorges, and full of large, loose, slippery boulders. We really needed to dig deep into the leg muscles to push our bodies up and through the trail. It was no easy task with many groans and sighs coming from all of us. The sight of the top however, was nicely in view and we could see the outskirts of Baqal Village. We just needed to dig a little deeper to find enough strength to bring us up.

Once at the summit, the team was fully inspired and awestruck. We were now on top of a massive mountain with eagle eye views to the whole valley around us and a range of more mountains. We were also now standing in the middle of a small, dormant, farming village. It was truly and eye-opening experience to see that life and farming could exist up on such a remote location in such a harsh environment. We took some nice photos of us at the top and scoped out a lovely hiking camping spot for a future adventure.     

It took us about 2.5 – 3 hours to reach the summit but we were motivated to cut this time down drastically on the descent. Like most hikes, this descent proved to be very demanding on the body as the legs, knees, and feet were tasked with carrying and supporting our full weight down the very treacherous terrain that we had just climbed. It was approaching noon by this point and the sun was in its full glory. So we were determined to descend in good time while not forcing any injury on the way down. We descended directly without any breaks or rests on the way down and were back at our cars by 1pm. The total descent took about 1.5 hours.

We quickly changed out of our hiking boots and put on some fresh clothes before sitting down to enjoy a few drinks and snacks together. It was a great early morning hike and definitely one of the more grueling in recent times. We all shook hands and congratulated each other on the hike well done before jumping in our cars for the drive back to Dubai. Very much looking forward to the next one!         

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To view the track on the map, zoom in on the red track line